Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-03
A FAMOUS INNING TOWN.
LEADVlLlE AND THE RELATIONS
OF ITS MORALS AND ITS VICES.
A Place Where Justice Is Sure and
Swift-GambIing as a Busness-Noisy
Keno-Roulette Under Suspicion-Poker
and Faro-Talmage's Visit.

argument that in a community which sends
the president of its First National bank to the
penitentiary for ten years cannot be said to
be without considerable moral tone Lead
vile did Just that with a man who had be-
trayed a trust, and SO far has refused to join
in a sentimental movement for pardon. An
assayer Of good position, who had loaned his
science to a conspiracy for stealing rich ore,
followed the banker down the Grand canyon
and into retirement behind the bars. Mine
officials and others have gone the same way
for plundering employers. The Leadville
code is not an extensive one, but justice fol
lows swift and sure upon infractions of it.
Having decided to tolerate gambling, Lead
vile does so in the most open'handed manner.
Some of the best locations on the avenue are
given up to the votaries of tickle fortune.
There is none Of the hypocrisy Of half drawn
blinds. The doors are thrown wide open, and
from the street can be seen at any time the
green tables surrounded by the players, while
the click of the chips and the bawling of the
man at the keno goose fall upon the ears of
the passer by. Gambling in Leadvile is
business
"Our running expenses, ;" said Con Feath-
erly, one of the propretors Of the Texas, "aTs
. ,oOO d IlOILl. w UtI Tue uOuSS cJclleu III
1879 it ran behind steadily for six months,
and came pretty near going under. Then it
took a turn for the better and ran ahead. Il
we take in SIS, 900 or $50, 900 a month we are
pretty well satisfied. That pays running ex-
penses and leaves margin for profit"
A GORGEOUS BAR.
Down stairs there is the bar on one side,
gorgeous with its mammoth mirror and its
array of cut glass. a lunch counter just
across Che way is also doing business On
blackboards are displayed the scores of the
days baseball games, the results of the races
and the grain and stock quotations from the
east TO the right is a room with half a
dozen games Of faro in progress and open TO
all corners. Back of the faro room is the
business Office OF the establishment. Then
comes long, high chamber, where q hun
Gred men try hour after hour to put five but
tons in q row on numbered card, while a
loud voiced young man whirls the goose and
calls ont the number of each little ball as it
falls into bis hand. There are electric de-
vices to show at a glance the exact number
Of cards taken out and the consequent pot to
go to the holder of the winning card. This
is keno 1t is The popular game, and the
noisy one as well, so the players are shut into
big room by themselves But faro and
keno are only two of the games which the
Texas provides for its patrons Adjoining
the keno room the roulette has its corner, and
a pleasant faced man whirls the wheel and
the marble in opposite directions, reciting, i'll
q low, well nlodulated voice:
"Black or red, odd or even. high Or low.
Thirty-fve for single number Round and
3 ,o Iall IcDIl :.
self if YOU like"
Roulette, the great game Of the European
resorts, is not popular i'll Leadville. Now and
then young clerk or laboring man will
stop and risk q dollar on the black or red, but
the play is seldom heavy. The fact is, the
wheel is rather under suspicion in the western
country. Smart gamblers have been able to
fix II up by magnetism and electrical currents
so that the little marble found its way too
often to the single or the co, both of which
sweep the board for the house. Mexicans like
roulette, but Americans give it wide berth.
The dice table, where the dealer sits behind a
moustrouS box and rattles down the cubes. is
better patronized. "Studhorse poker has
some admirers, but straight poker is always
sure Of a tQbleful. In the rooms on the first
foor everybody comes and goes at will Hen
reach over each others shoulders to lay down
their bets. Down stairs is for the crowd. Up
stairs is for the heavy betters.
"The largest winning at q single setting
that ! remember said Mr. Featberlv, after
taking few moments to consider the cues
ton. was $4,000 l recollect a big game
we had one Saturday night in. the front
room. We had been playing all the evening
and about II O'Clock there was some talk
about stopping. The house was out s., 800 on
the game. One or two of the players started
to go. but came back and said that it was
showing so that man couldn't see ten feet
ahead Of him. So the game was kept up all
night until 5 o'clock Sunday morning. and
when we stopped the house was $40, 0G0 ahead.
besides recovering the $500 behind at IL
o'clock the night before.
THE CHARM WAS BROKEN
These big games are sometimes affected
by things which people vino DO not gamble
would consider trivial continued Mr.. Feath-
erly. We had game going one night in
the back room and the principal players were
two eastern men who had come here to buy a
mine They had drafts il their pockets for
100000 One was man worth 81, goo 900 or
$50 600. The betting was heavy. About
II - NlpNh sumo u NilS IbtIilS were CiDSeii.
The players were into the game about $3.50.
For some reason we moved from the back
room into the front room and went on. The
players made a few bets. fidgeted about and
then quit. The moving from one room TO
another bad broken the charm. If we had
kept on in the back room the game would
have run all night. probably, and $40. 600
might have changed hGnGs l talked TO the
players about it afterward and they said that
it was the change of rooms that made them
stop. This may sound odd to those who
don't know anything about the little influences
which affect playing, but all gamblers viii
understand it.
Talmage visited Leadviile once, and it fell
to the lot OF the good Maj. BONN to show him
the town. Il want 10 see it all" said the
preacher, and the major gave up two nights
to the job. Some time after midnight of the
second round the pair drew up In front Of
the hotel
Have / seen everything!7 asked the d.
vine.
Everything replied the major, conscien-
ticusly.
81 have been much instructed said the
preacher.
He had "slummsdn extensively in New
York, but he admitted tpat LeadvilIe could
give him points Standing on Harrison
avenue anu looking westward alo~S State
street the visitor has spread before hiln Z dis
trlct Of a few hundred yards which contains
mora concentrated wicke8neSs than any
similar strip OF ground on tile American con
tlHent, New York not barred. Wee here
displays her most bideous nien, and IS rap
turously embraced The locality Is given M
without protest 10 those who lahab!t il.
I,z.4 . Ia -.
property must be safe here and further
than that does not interfere. -G!obe-D DEMO /